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I grinned. “Right at the end of my spine. When I change, my tailbone extends, and that’s where it comes out from. I’m taller and more muscular in that form. I have a tail, wings, but no horns. I have a little bit of an underbite, but not nearly as pronounced as some.”

“All right. Yeah, I need to see your gargoyle sometime. That sounds…I’ve seen some of the other shifters shifted. I’ve seen the dragons more than anything, but that’s because I go out to the falls and sit and watch. I’m not there to watch them specifically. I’m just there to listen to the falls and spend time outside. Sometimes they show up. But I’ve seen some of the others around the mountain.”

“It is to be expected when you live on Treasure Ridge that you will see shifters in their shifted form,” I said. Since I was fifteen, I’d been able to change into my gargoyle and, shortly after that, go into stasis when needed. Lewis didn’t have anything like that. There was no other half, but he did have magical powers. “Do you feel as if you’re missing out by not having the ability to shift into another part of you?”

“No,” Lewis said while shaking his head. “I don’t mind being fae. I like it, actually. I don’t have any issues with anyone having different abilities or being able to do more than me. That isn’t fair to anyone. They didn’t choose to be a shifter any more than I chose to be fae.” He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s just who we are, and we can’t change that.” Lewis looked directly at me. “Do you wish you were something other than a gargoyle?”

“I do not. I’ve only ever known being who I am. I have three forms. This one, my gargoyle skin, and then our stone form when we go into stasis.” Lewis blinked at me for what felt like several minutes. “Lewis?” I waved a hand in front of his face.

“That’s real?” he asked.

“What?”

“The stone thing. You turn into stone? Like, actual stone?”

“Yes, we do. We turn into our stone form when we need deep sleep to recover from being overly tired or exerted, wounded severely, or if there is a danger that our gargoyle’s skin can’t protect us from. We are a bit vulnerable in that form, so we usually do it in private,” I told him. I actually used one of the empty bedrooms upstairs. It was set up for it, and since I didn’t have any other use for it because I didn’t have anyone ever visiting, I figured why not.

“Can you talk in that form?”

I shook my head. “We cannot. I can hear others talking when I’m in stasis though. And if I’m able, I can change out of it, but it’s not a quick change like it is in and out of my gargoyle skin.”

“What do you mean, if you’re able?”

I smiled at my mate. I loved that he was open enough to ask these questions. “If I’m recovering from a severe wound, I will not be able to change from stasis to either other form until my body has healed enough.”

“Do you get wounded often?” Lewis asked, his eyes going wide again.

I reached for my mate and was thankful he let me pull him over into my lap. This time, he was sitting sideways with his feet out on the couch. “I have been wounded before in the past, but not since I’ve joined the enforcers. There are some that have been, but we have a great staff here at the council, and they have made full recoveries.”

Lewis nodded a few times before he sighed. After that, he laid his head against my chest, and I felt a shiver course through him. “Being near you like this calms the vibrations a little.”

“Would you explain them more? Are they painful?”

Lewis sat up and looked at me. “They can be. They will become intense if you don’t claim me fast enough.”

“How soon does that happen?”

“I’m not sure. It’s different for everyone. But it could be a few days or a week. Warlocks have the same thing. It will eventually drive us to the point that another will need to end us if our mate refuses us. I’ve never heard of a fae being able to continue on after their mate rejected them. I’m sure it’s happened, but not that I know of.”

That was horrible. “I don’t wish for you to be in pain.” I would take him upstairs now and claim him if that was what was needed. I wasn’t going to have hang-ups about our age differences, nor was I going to freak out about the possibility of him getting pregnant. I wanted him carrying my children. Even if they were gargoyle children. My mother carried two, and I’d seen plenty of male omegas carry gargoyle children in our clan. “Do I need to take you upstairs and claim you?”

Lewis shrugged again. “I mean, I’m not going to say no. I meant it when I said fae don’t wait. You’re an enforcer, and more importantly, Evan let me leave with you. I’m pretty sure you can be trusted.”

“I don’t know if I should be happy or not.”

“Happy. Seriously.” Lewis moved, once again straddling my lap. I really enjoyed him in this position, and at some point, we were going to need to give things a try like this. “You know I’m a virgin, but I’ve seen things. I have a basic idea of how things work or how things are supposed to work. I’m probably not going to satisfy you in the beginning, but⁠—”

I stopped him by placing two fingers over his lips. “Do not think that,” I said. “I am with my mate. There is nothing more satisfying to an alpha than being with his mate and bringing them pleasure. If I’m able to satisfy you, then I’ll be the happiest and most satisfied alpha there is in the moment. That’s how it’s supposed to be. I wish to bring you pleasure. To satisfy you.” I dropped my fingers and replaced them with my thumb. I ran it across his lower lip and wondered what it would be like to suck on it, or even… I wasn’t going to let my mind go there. His lips were beautiful, and it was possible we would get to explore many different things in the bedroom, but my focus now was Lewis and getting him comfortable with the things we would do together as a couple.

“So about the gargoyle side of you.”

I smiled. “Yes, what about him? Would you like to meet him?”

Lewis touched my face and then smiled back at me. “I really would. Not that I don’t think this version of you isn’t gorgeous, because you really are. I would like to get to know all of your different sides though.”

That was good enough for me. I placed my hands on Lewis’s ass and stood. He squeaked and grabbed my shoulders. I laughed again as I carried him to the stairs. “I love all of the sounds you make,” I said. “The whimpers especially, but I’m curious as to what other sounds I can get out of you before the night is over.” The whimpers did it for me. They weren’t distressful, but sexual, and that was certainly something I wanted to not only hear more of but explore more.

“Are you going to claim me?”